Improvement in shells



UNITED vSrrrrns PATENT @rrmn.

BENJAMIN B. EIOTGHKISS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

I IMPROVEMENT IN SHELLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 189,358, dated April10, 1877; application filed December 1, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. HOTOH- KISS, of the city, county, andState of New York, now temporarily residing in the city of Paris,France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inProjectiles, of which the following is a specification: I

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of aprojectile Fig. 2, a similar view of its intermediate shell; Fig. 3, atransverse section on planew of Fig. 1 Fig. 4, a longitudinal section ofa shell filled with shrapnel; Fig. 5, a similar view ofa modification,and Fig. 6 a transverse section of Fig. 4.

Shells and similar explosive projectiles, which depend for efficiencyupon their capacity to separate into numerous fragments when they areexploded, have heretofore been constructed with thick walls strongenough to sustain the force of the firing-charge by which they areprojected to the point where they are to be exploded. The strength thusimparted to them is found to so resist the exploding-ch arge as toprevent it from breaking the shell into a large number of pieces.

The object of my invention is to furnish a shell with walls which may beeasily broken into a large number of fragments under the force exertedby the exploding-charge.

This is accomplished by casting the shell with multiple walls, thesurfaces of which adhere together so slightly as to practically formseparated sections but, in order that the shell may be strong enough toresist fracture from the force by which the shell is projected from thegun, its multiple walls are constructed as an integral part of the baseof the shell, which is of a thickness strong enough to prevent its beingruptured at the weak points, or natural lines of fracture, by the shockof the exploding-charge which projects it from the cannon.

The invention therefore consists, primarily, in a shell having multiplewalls arranged par allel, or nearly so, with each other, and united to asolid base. It, however, includes some details of construction fullyhereinafter pointed out.

In producing this projectile, a shell, 2, of the form of a hollowopen-ended. cone, with numerous holes, 9, formed in its sides, as shownin Fig. 2, is first cast by the ordinary process. This shell is thensuspended by its smaller end upon a core-piece whose dimensions are suchas will leave a space between its exterior and the interior surface ofthe shell 2 equal to the thickness desired for the inner wall 4.

This core and the shell 2 are then suspended in a mold of the commonconstruction, which mold has an inner contour of the shape of theexterior of the complete shell shown in Fig. 1. The metal poured intothis mold flows around the inner shell 2, and through its holes 9, thusforming an inner wall, 4, and an exterior wall, 5, secured together bythe solid bottom 3, and enveloping the inner shell 2, as is seen in Fig.l. The said inner and outer walls and the inner shell will also befirmly held together by the anchors 8, which are formed by the metalwhich has flowed through the holes 9. The inner and outer walls and theinner shell, whose temperature has been raised by the molten metal,will, as the metal cools, shrink toward the center, the said parts beingthus held closely together. The head of the shell may then be bored outto form the fuse-opening 7, and is ready to be charged and filled andprovided with a fuse-plug for use. The space between its outer and innerwalls may be leftclear to receive shrapnel, or a tier of balls, as isshown in Fig. 4. But this form of the projectile requires a slightchange in the mode of its formation; for instance, a center core must beprovided to form the chargechamber 12, and a hollow core must besuspended concentrically overit to form the chamber 11 between its outerand inner walls, in a manner familiar to those acquainted with the artof casting hollow bodies. An opening, 1, should be left in the outerwall to facilitate the filling of the chamber 11 with shrapnel,

which opening may be closed by a plug when.

the shell is prepared for use. .When the shell is produced by this modeof casting, its inner shell 2 may be formed by pouring molten metalthrough the opening 1. This form of shell shows but one anchor, (marked10,) while the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 3 illustrates threesets of them, each set being comprised of three anchors, 8, extendingradially to connect the inner and outer shells. in shells of greatdiameter, one anchor, asin Except Figs. 4 and 5, will be foundsufficient, and though it is not absolutely essential that any of theseanchors shall be used, any number may be employed.

As before remarked, the uniting of the walls 4 and 5 to the base 3, asan integral part thereof, provides a structure capable of resisting thestrain to which it is subjected by the charge which projects it from thegun. While it is formed so as not to be liable to rupture under theinfluence of the firing-charge, it may be observed that if one wall isfractured in this manner, the other wall will hold the weak ened part inplace, so that the shell may still be projected from the gun withoutinjuring the same, or preventing the shell from continuing its flightwith the same precision as if uninjured. Projectiles thus constructedare efficient weapons, as experiment has determined that the percentageof pieces into which they will burst is largely above that of any of theshells now in common use.

A sabot or packing and fuse of any approved form may, of course, beemployed.

What is claimed is 1. A shell constructed of multiple walls united to asolid base, as an integral part thereof, said walls being arrangedparallel, or nearly so, with each other, whereby is provided betweenthem anarrow chamber,adapted to receive and support a separate shell, ortier of balls, and a central chamber of great cubical area for thereception of the bursting charge, all substantially as described.

2. A shell having multiple walls united to asolid base, as an integralpart thereof, and inclosing between them a separate shell, substantiallyas described.

3. A shell having multiple walls united to a solid base, and securedtogether by one or more anchors, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

B. B. HOTOHKISS.

Witnesses:

H. T. MUNSON, M. B. PHILIPP.

